I know it happened like that with iPods but they were never drastically more than the same music player with a redesign. The iPhone and iPad are always huge paradigm shifts in features and differences. Its like they started with iPad (1), then iPad 2, and then just ditched numbering after 2. Maybe they have so much momentum that they don't have to number things anymore to get people extra excited about "newness" and status.
It's about time they dropped the number ... there is really nothing revolutionary about new iPhones or iPads - they are incremental upgrades.
They don't number iPods, MacBooks or iMacs. I like this method better. I hope the next iPhone is just called "The iPhone".
so then what is the next ipad going to be called? The new new ipad? Stupid; this is just going to confuse people.
I think it will be casually called the iPad 3 or "Third-gen iPad". Maybe this is in preparation for an expanded product line. If they're planning to add an iPad Pro or iPad Mini/Reader then having a number in the name makes less sense. People do just fine with the Mac line using launch year and generation number.
I think its a bad idea. How will you choose a case for your iPhone if you don't know if you're buying one for the 4S or 5?
the same way millions of people have purchased cases for ipod touches over the past years... " have a third gen ipod touch" "..............second gen......" "fourth gen........."
And regular people who'se lives don't revolve around their gadgets will be confused. Not everyone knows which gen their iPad/iPhone is which is why the Phones have numbers.
Good point, maybe this is because they are gonna have that rumored 7 inch iPad and it will be like MBA and MBP. Maybe that is also why they gave us the "more coming in 2012 stay tuned" teaser... It might be more iPad related things happening in 2012 since they tacked on the teaser at the end of specifically the iPad presentation. I imagine those iPod accessory boxes that just say compatible with 3rd gen, 4th gen, 5th gen. Most people don't know which gen they have maybe. Then it takes up the whole box. Compatible with iPad, iPad 2, iPad (3rd gen), iPad (4th gen), iPad Mini... etc... Why not make it official.. Could go either way. Maybe they just want to have elegance across the board for all of the product lines.
Look at the box The last iPad 2 I saw that came in a box wasn't labeled iPad 2. I don't know if all of them were that way at least the one we got in December doesn't have it.
This. If there's only one model released a year, what do you have to worry about? The latest iPad is the 2012 iPad. Move along now
Nobody knows which # MBP they have, either. This will help consumers greatly. The 4/4S fiasco had to be the impetus. Just praying they call it "iPhone" this fall, not 5/6/HD.
It won't confuse the people that know what they are doing. Everyone else will just be happy they have one of them fandangled "i" machines in their hands.
All of their products from now will be numberless and retailers will just go by years or gens. They probably did it with the iPad first before the phone to reduce confusion or shock. If there is any confusion of change to be had, it will smooth out any mainstream weirdness when the iPhone 5/6 comes out this year and is just called "iPhone," by setting the precedent now with the iPad.